Timagenes

Timagenes of Alexandria was one in the 1st century BC, Greek rhetorician and historian living.

Life

Timagenes came from Alexandria in Egypt. The Byzantine encyclopedia Suda noted that his father was a money changer in Alexandria. Timagenes came in 55 BC as a prisoner of war of Aulus Gabinius, the. Egypt Ptolemy XII was used as the king returned to Rome. He was ransomed Faustus Cornelius Sulla, the son of the dictator Sulla, and settled in Rome. There he made the acquaintance of Marcus Antonius, held but later in the vicinity of Augustus. Due to its Spitzzüngigkeit but he fell out with Augustus, who eventually Timagenes aufkündigte the Amicitia ( " Friendship "). His new patron was Gaius Asinius Pollio, who was himself a historian and the Principate little wink. Evagoras of Lindos is said to have written a (now lost ) biography of Timagenes.

Works

Timagenes authored several writings, of which only 15 fragments are retained. He wrote a treatise on Gaul, which still used the late antique historian Ammianus Marcellinus (direct or mediated by an intermediate source) in his excursus on Gaul. Timagenes seems thereby to have regard to Posidonius; the work also reflects his general interest in geography and ethnography. A treatise on the rule of Augustus burned the often quite spirited Timagenes after the break with the princeps.

His main work was probably the title Peri Basileon ( "On the Kings" ). It was apparently a universal story that reached up to the time of Caesar. The presentation was probably heavily focused on the Hellenistic monarchies of the East, the guiding principle was probably the history of different dynasties. Many detailed questions relating to this work are controversial. The aftermath, however, was quite remarkable. It was used, among other well- Appian, Quintus Curtius Rufus and Pompeius Trogus as the source. Plutarch and Strabo mention him and have his universal history probably also used; Flavius ​​Josephus mentions and quotes him from the historical work of Strabo. Quintilian extolled Timagenes very important historian who had led after Kleitarchos Greek history back to new glory.

Alfred von Gutschmid assumed that the Universal History of Pompeius Trogus, which is present to us only as Epitome of Junianus Justin, only a Latin treatment of the universal history of Timagenes represented. This would be plausible, among other reasons, because the universal history of Timagenes a similar topic covers how the work of Trogus. Although the hypothesis is considered controversial, but in recent times and in a modified form - has been resumed - Timagenes as an important source and as an influential factor. It would at least be very surprised if Trogus would not have known the work of Timagenes and at least not used it.

From parts research Timagenes is assumed an anti -Roman attitude, but this is rather questionable in terms of its good relations with Roman ruling circles. From the few fragments of such an attitude is certainly not to be derived. It is also speculative, the statement of Livy, after which some Greek historian would glorify at the expense of Rome the Parthians, to refer to Timagenes. Likewise, can not be finally clarified whether the work of the Timagenes was the barbarians against really been hellenozentrisch and weighed, said Marta Sordi, such as in a technical paper to Timagenes as is obtained from the plant in fact hardly anything.

Richard Laqueur presented regarding Timagenes concludes, "It may well be that T. has played a major role in ancient tradition, as we can prove; but really it is not tangible. Human and plant extract in a peculiar way each access. "At least Timagenes has apparently taken in the ancient historiographical tradition ( at least according to Polybius ) a not unimportant place and has been read quite frequently. It is, therefore, to look at, despite the de facto loss of his works as one of the most important Greek writers of the Augustan age. He apparently also played a not unimportant role in the mediation of Greek culture in Augustan Rome. Strabo and Nicolaus of Damascus, appear to have been influenced by literary him; as rhetorically accomplished author, he was also in direct contact with several contemporary rhetoricians.

The fragments are collected in The fragments of Greek historians (No. 88 ) or ( with English translation, a short commentary and biographical sketch) in Brill 's New Jacoby.